News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
When the Antilla family returned to their home in Crossroads from an outing on Saturday, August 9, they knew something was wrong. Their horses were agitated and appeared injured. Panels on their steel corral were knocked out of place. Tikki, a 12-year-old Arab Standard Mix was running back and forth with a cut on her face. Asea, a docile 12-year-old Morgan Pinto was shaking and had wounds on the right side of the rump and on a leg. It didn't take long for the Antillas to... Full story
The clock ticked past 3 p.m. on Friday, August 15, and there was no sound of a gavel coming down. The approximately 62-acre parcel of land (50 acres net) the U.S. Forest Service put on the block in Sisters with a minimum bid of $14 million failed to attract any bids during an auction that closed last Friday. "It's a big disappointment," said Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony, "and it's going to create some challenges for us." The no-bid means the Forest Service cannot move... Full story
Thunder crashed and bolts of lightning spiked the sky last Sunday evening as a powerful thunderstorm rolled up the spine of the Cascade Range. Thousands of lightning strikes pummeled the landscape and 40 to 50 fires broke out. The largest of these was the Summit Springs Fire, which reached 1,200 acres in the "Little Akawa Butte" area (formerly Little Squawback) near Tai Flat (formerly Squaw Flat) some nine miles northeast of Sisters. The fires grew with startling speed Sunday... Full story
The Sisters City Council has delayed a decision about franchising out the city's refuse operations to High Country Disposal (HCD). In a guest editorial printed in the July 30 Nugget ("Reject public resource giveaway, page 2), Councilor Len Kellstrom wrote: "Accepting HCD's last proposal would be the worst public policy decision in the 10 years I have been on the council." Several of the councilors expressed concern about the franchise agreement at both their regular bi-weekly workshop and council meeting on Thursday, August... Full story
Economic hard times are sending some local residents packing. Sisters Rental, which also operates the local U-Haul distributorship, has tracked a trend in their U-Haul customers this summer: "Although our U-Haul business is pretty close to what it was last year, we're seeing more people this year leaving the area than arriving," said Gilbert Porraz. Porraz noted that it seems to be certain types of people moving on. "I'm seeing people who've lived here for 5-7 years now moving on, mainly headed south, and most say it was... Full story
To the Editor: I was so glad I attended the City Council meeting last Thursday, and to have the opportunity to voice my opinion regarding the City Council considering passing the responsibility of the city's neighborhood refuse collection to High Country Disposal of Bend. I, and most folks I've spoken to so far, much prefer the tasks continue to be done by our city employees (who already pick up cardboard), who have shown great pride in the performance of their duties for the city. A good example was this last Sunday morning.... Full story
With the cost of petroleum fuels skyrocketing, "green power" and renewable energy sources are beginning to attract lots of attention. So it's no accident that late last month the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council announced approval for what is being billed as the "world's largest wind farm" in north central Oregon. When fully complete, the new wind farm would have 303 wind turbines that will more than double Oregon's present wind-generated power capability. The planned... Full story
The planned Black Butte Crossing development on the north side of Sisters will add some 32,000 square feet of new retail space to Sisters' business community, along with an estimated 243 townhouse- or apartment-type residences. The project, which is expected to go before the city's planning commission for review next month, is represented locally by broker Peter Storton of RE/MAX Town & Country Realty. He is serving as a consultant for Willamette Planning Group LLC, which... Full story
Sisters will send visitors on a little time-travelling expedition into the 19th Century on Labor Day Weekend, as it welcomes the Sisters Western & Native American Arts Festival, Saturday and Sunday, August 30-31, at Creekside City Park. The event features a wide variety of fine arts and crafts, paintings, photography, pottery, wood crafts, jewelry and more. Visitors will get a glimpse inside a teepee and learn how wagon wheels were made. Tony Fuller, KTVZ personality will be performing Native American dancing. Flutist... Full story
South Valley Bank's new Sisters branch has donated $1,000 to Sisters Family Access Network (FAN). The bank made donations part of a promotion for opening new accounts at the branch, which moved to Sisters this summer. Branch manager Marcia DeGregorio presented a check to Dawn Cooper and Theresa Slavkovsky of FAN last Friday. "They do such an important job in the community," DeGregorio said. FAN provides assistance to families in need, helping with rent and utility bills in... Full story
Carla Merrell wears several military-type hats. She is the ASPIRE military advisor at Sisters High School; the organizer of the Sisters Military Parents (MPS), a group dedicated to supporting local troops and their parents; and her son Jake is a Marine. When she recently attended a US Marine Corps Educators Workshop in San Diego, she figured she was prepared for the drill sergeants. After all, she spends hours talking with recruiters and prospective soldiers and had heard Jake's stories. On the day that the educators were... Full story
The mountain pine beetle has struck Sisters Ranger District in epidemic proportions. These destructive little tree-killers have been around for years, slowly growing in numbers throughout the Northwest, and now they have reached the Three Sisters Wilderness in uncontrollable numbers. "And they're headed for Mt. Washington Wilderness," said Brian Tandy, Forester for the Sisters Ranger District. "Wherever you find lodgepole pine, you'll find the mountain pine beetles. And,... Full story
A transformation took place on Sunday, August 17, at the Black Butte Ranch Stables. Over the course of the day, seven Sisters girls, ranging in age from eight to12 years, learned the elements of equestrian vaulting, a horse sport that combines gymnastics, dance and horsemanship. Their first attempts at a proper vaulting-style mount, onto a vaulting barrel, were self-conscious and not too graceful. By the afternoon, they were not only mounting the barrel with confidence, but... Full story
High Lakes Pony Club members had an opportunity to brush up on their skills at an in-house show on Monday, August 18, at O'Neal Farms in Sisters. About half of the 24 members were able to attend, and they were divided into three groups according to skill levels. The day started with Tack and Turnout class where all the groups were combined. Each rider presented to the judge, stating name, age and details about his or her horse, and answered questions from the judge. Sandy... Full story
Pleiades in the FivePine Campus is undergoing some changes starting this week in what co-owner Tate Metcalf describes as a "rebooting" of the restaurant. Greg Unruh, who co-founded the acclaimed Cork restaurant in Bend, is coming on board as interim chef. "He and I worked together at the Athletic Club of Bend when he was at Scanlon's, then he and Karen Hill started Cork," Metcalf said. Unruh will preside over some changes - some gradual and some more immediate - inaugurat... Full story
Local organizers are gearing up to campaign for "Local Option," a supplemental funding measure to raise money for Sisters schools. Last July the school board passed a resolution to put the measure on the November ballot. A support committee that includes Brian Witt of Sisters, chair, and Chris Jones and Glen Lasken of the school board, has been formed. The committee is filing for status as a political action committee. According to Elaine Drakulich, Superintendent of Schools, there will be an organizational meeting open to... Full story
The Sisters School District is still planning for a drop in enrollment from last year. The decrease is across the board in all three schools. The total decline is about 125 students, or about 10 percent from the end of the 2006-2007 school year. This number was originally forecast last May. Superintendent Elaine Drakulich has not changed the forecast. "I have no reason to believe there is a change from where we were last spring," in estimates, she said. The exception is kindergarten. With new funding for all-day kindergarten,... Full story
J Newport Company is an outlet for quality children's wear and they are now in Sisters. While a traditional "factory outlet" is a store attached to a factory or warehouse, today's outlets sell their products directly to the public through their own branded stores. Often the hours are not the same as a retail store due to manufacturing demands. This is the case with J Newport Company. Located at 473 Hood Ave., Suite 103 (five doors down from Sisters Video in Pine Meadow... Full story
Sixteen-year-old Swiss exchange student Elio Keller is set to spend a year in Sisters as a guest of the Storton family. He's following in his father's footsteps. Rene Keller, 44, was an exchange student who lived with the Stortons in San Diego, before they moved to Sisters in 1993. "I was 16 years old myself," Rene recalled. "It was a summer vacation program, not a full year. I probably couldn't handle a full year. Homesick." That may be, but Rene formed such a bond with... Full story
The recent resignation of Dr. Craig Nikolai as Superintendent has left a large vacancy at Black Butte School. Two and a half weeks before school begins, the restructuring of school management was a key issue at this month's board meeting. The Black Butte School has seen several resignations in the past two months. At the last board meeting of June 24, Toni Brown resigned as business manager and was replaced by Scott Pillar. Rhonda Adovnik resigned as maintenance person and Scott McNitt was hired temporarily in July to fill... Full story
Sisters runner Sean Meissner came away with a surprise victory at the annual Crater Lake Marathon August 2, when the leader took a wrong turn in the final two miles. The 33rd edition in what is considered Oregon's toughest road marathon may have had it's most peculiar finish as Chuck Engle, who had led nearly the entire race and had built an insurmountable lead missed a turn at mile 24, despite it being clearly marked. "Apparently he ignored the cones and the race officials and just kept going straight rather than making the... Full story
• A young driver fell asleep at the wheel of his SUV and swiped the side of a truck. The driver escaped with very minor injuries. • A man violated a no-contact order with a woman. When deputies arrived to get him to leave, he scuffled with them. He got to go to jail. • A shopper left a dog in the car in 98-degree weather conditions. For "just a few minutes," of course. A deputy explained that just a few minutes in a broiling hot car on a broiling hot day could make a broiled, dead dog. • A 22-year-old... Full story
Last week we explored the upper reaches of Canyon Creek where it is born in the snows of Three Fingered Jack. This time we'll take a look at the other end of the creek, where it empties into the Metolius River south of Camp Sherman. This hike is an easy round trip of five miles and can be accessed either from Canyon Creek Campground or Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. I prefer to start at Wizard Falls to save the mouth of Canyon Creek and some spectacular springs along the... Full story
The story of how mountain pine beetles have taken over lodgepole forests of the Northwest is both complicated and convoluted. Gifford Pinchot, Father of the Forest Service, helped set the stage for the eruption of the beetles that are killing pine in the Three Sisters Wilderness today. He had zero tolerance for fire in the forest, for any reason, and just about every forester from that day on preached the same sermon: "No fire in the forest!" Smokey Bear picked up the torch and carried it into all sectors of forest... Full story
•Bright Spot Juice and Java is offering a "Local's Special" with a filled punch card. Along with a free drink, you can also get $5 towards a drive-thru car wash or five tokens for a hand wash. They are located at the corner of Pine Street and Main Avenue. •Bring your musical talents to Scoots Bar and Grill for an "Open Mic Night" on Thursdays at 8 p.m. and a "Karaoke Night" on Sundays at 8 p.m. Call 549-1588 for more information. •Groomingdales has new hours. They are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to... Full story
